Christmas tree outlasts holiday

When a homeowner thinks of adding a tree to his property, the benefits to be considered are likely to be the flowers, fruit or shade the tree will provide. Yet of equal or greater importance are the aesthetic qualities that a tree brings to the property.

We know that trees provide us with a sense of belonging to a home site. He who plants a tree shows an interest in the present, but even more, a tree is planted for future rewards. A tree planted today will often be there for generations.

There is one tree, however, that is in a category of its own. It is the Christmas tree that is used for its religious and cultural significance. The first use of evergreen branches carried indoors to mark the winter solstice is lost in history. Numerous legends are part of the folklore of the Scandinavian and Germanic people. All focus on the need to surround ourselves with a symbol of continuing life, renewal and rebirth during a period of darkness. Symbols are powerful and meaningful. We do well to carry on the traditions of our ancestors.

How do you observe the return of light to the world? Some of your neighbors purchase a spruce, fir, or pine that was containerized or is wrapped in burlap, carried indoors for the holiday season, then planted in the yard. Living reminders of Christmases past are landscaped into their property. How realistic is it to use a living tree indoors for the holidays? With care and attention, the tree should survive.

Select an evergreen from a favorite nursery and set outdoors on planks or patio. Dig a planting hole, right now, while the soil is unfrozen, where the tree is to be planted. Protect the hole and the soil that will be used for its replanting from freezing by using leaves or other material. Bring the tree indoors just before the holiday, decorate it and enjoy. A few days after Christmas, with great ceremony, move the tree to its yard site and plant it. Mulch it with the leaves used to protect the site from freezing and water well if possible.

Do you plan to use a cut tree? Fine. Visit one of the many local tree farms and select your special tree. Know that the tree is fresh. Understand that the tree has been adding to our supply of oxygen for the past seven or more years as well as beautifying what is often sub-marginal land. It controlled erosion, provided a habitat for birds and other wildlife, and the farmer has been paying local taxes to support his community. Know also that usually two trees will be planted to replace the cut tree.

Bring the tree home. Set it into a tree holder that has a water reservoir. Keep the reservoir filled. Locate the tree away from fireplaces, radiators or other drying heat sources. After the holidays, set the tree upright in the yard and festoon it with bird food or cut off all the branches, leaving 2-inch stubs, and lay the branches over your perennials. Save the tree as a stake for beans, tomatoes, roses, or other plants needing support next summer. Note that the stubs help immeasurably to allow climbing plants to cling.

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